Often at the reception in the clinic you can hear a strange diagnosis - "insomnia". What it is? In fact, this term refers to the ordinary and familiar to many insomnia, which has turned from a routine problem into a real pathology. This sleep disorder manifests itself in several forms. You are more likely to have insomnia if:
- you have difficulty falling asleep at night;
- you wake up several times an hour, even if the day was busy and you are very tired;
- you wake up very early in the morning and can't go back to sleep.
When insomniacs wake up, they feel overwhelmed and tired. A protracted disorder can not only deprive you of energy and good mood, this pathology often seriously undermines your he alth, interferes with normal work and significantly reduces the overall quality of life.
How is it right?
How many hours per day should I get uninterrupted sleep? It is impossible to answer this question with the utmost accuracy, since everything depends on the individual characteristics of each organism, however, most adults needsleep for about seven to eight hours at night.
Types of insomnia
At some point, some adult patients experience short-term attacks of acute insomnia that last several days or weeks. Typically, this reaction of the body follows significant stress or traumatic events. Types of insomnia also include long-term, or chronic, insomnia - a disorder that lasts continuously for a month or longer. Sometimes the inability to sleep well is an independent pathology, but in some cases it is a symptom (manifestation) of other he alth problems or a side effect of certain medications.
Signs of pathology
The following symptoms of insomnia are known to medicine:
- difficulty falling asleep at night;
- frequent waking up in the middle of the night;
- waking up too early in the morning;
- not feeling well after a good night's sleep;
- tired or sleepy during the day;
- irritability, depression or anxiety;
- difficulty paying attention or remembering;
- progressive distraction;
- Incessant sleep anxiety.
Reasons
And yet, insomnia - what is it: a direct he alth disorder or a sign of another pathology? Often insomnia is the result of stressful events in the patient's life or the result of his bad habits that interfere with normal sleep and wakefulness.
Mostcommon causes of insomnia are:
- Stress. Worries about work, school, he alth or finances, family well-being are the main prerequisite for sleep disorders, as such worries keep the mind in an active, thinking mode. Traumatic life events (illness or death of loved ones, divorce or loss of a prestigious job) can also lead to insomnia.
- Travel or work schedule. Daily biorhythms of a person function like an internal clock, determining not only body temperature and metabolic characteristics, but also sleep and wakefulness. Violation of daily biorhythms can provoke insomnia. Often this disorder affects people who often travel by air between different time zones, as well as those who work on shift schedules.
- Bad habits. Irregular bedtimes, daytime naps, uncomfortable bedding, being active before bed, using the bed as a place to eat, work, or watch TV are all causes of insomnia. Computers, TVs, video games, smartphones and any other device with glowing screens can disrupt the normal sleep-wake cycle.
- An overly large dinner. If you really want to, you can have a small snack of fruit or low-fat dairy products before going to bed, but a full meal at night almost always causes significant discomfort and prevents you from falling asleep. Many people in such cases suffer from heartburn - the reverse reflux of food and acidic gastric juice intoesophagus. Unpleasant sensation, of course, also does not contribute to falling asleep soon.
Specific preconditions
The causes of such a pathology do not always seem so harmless. In some cases, insomnia is caused by:
- Mental disorders. Anxiety and post-traumatic stress are not just the result of heavy emotions. Very often, such violations develop into serious mental disorders. Waking up too early is one of the signs of chronic depression.
- Medications. Many medications interfere with normal sleep patterns. These include, for example, antidepressants and medicines for asthma and unstable blood pressure. Even the most seemingly simple and safe over-the-counter drugs (pain relievers, allergy and cold remedies, dietary supplements for weight loss) contain caffeine and other stimulants that prevent you from falling asleep quickly.
- Diseases. Most often, insomnia is observed in atherosclerosis, diabetes, oncological neoplasms, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux, hormonal disorders, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Risk factors
Practically all people suffer from sleepless nights from time to time. However, in most cases, insomnia occurs in patients to whom one of the following statements applies:
- Belonging to the female sex. certainhormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and menopause play a role. During menopause, sleep is disturbed by nocturnal tides. Insomnia is also common in pregnant women.
- Over 60 years old. Many older people complain about the annoying problem of insomnia. What is it - a disease or a sign of approaching old age? In fact, the state of human he alth does change with age, and most retirees are struggling with various manifestations of insomnia.
- The impact of significant stress. Short-term problems in the family or at work can provoke acute insomnia. Chronic insomnia occurs when a person is forced to stay in unbearable conditions for a very long time.
- No mode. Most often, shift work interferes with normal sleep.
Diagnosis
The first thing a doctor should determine upon arrival of a patient with complaints of poor sleep is the nature of the pathology. Most likely in this case, of course, insomnia. What is it - an independent problem or a symptom of a hidden disease? To begin with, the doctor conducts the following examinations:
- Medical examination. If the causes of insomnia remain unknown, the specialist will first look for other possible pathologies potentially related to the sleep-wake cycle. Sometimes blood tests may be needed to determine if a patient has a thyroid disorder, for example.
- Sleep analysis. You may need to keep a sleep diary for a couple of weeks - the doctor should understand how your individual regimen affects the quality of night's rest.
Examination of the patient during sleep
If your insomnia has no obvious cause (or if you suffer from disorders such as sleep apnea), it may make sense to spend the night in a specialized sleep center. In such institutions, careful monitoring of body activity during rest is carried out. Doctors measure the electrical impulses of the brain, analyze breathing, heart rate, eye and body movements. All this is of paramount importance for confirming the diagnosis of insomnia.
Treatment
If simply getting rid of bad habits was not enough, the doctor will write you a prescription for the purchase of special drugs in the pharmacy to combat insomnia. Most often, specialists prescribe medicines containing:
- essopiclone ("Lunesta");
- ramelteon ("Rozerem");
- zaleplon ("Sonata");
- zolpidem ("Edloir", "Intermezzo", "Zolpimist").
There are, of course, many other over-the-counter drugs. You can choose sleeping pills according to your own preferences, but doctors do not recommend taking the same medicine for too long.
An alternative is to take sedatives such as valerian ormotherwort.
Yoga, tai chi, meditation and acupuncture can also help calm the mind.
